So this morning I was making coffee in our newly remodeled kitchen. Everything about it is improved. The space is small, less than 120 sq. feet in our mid-1920's era house, and yet there is an amazing amount of counter and storage space, and the workflow between range, fridge, coffee station and sink is natural and makes sense. Everything is light and airy looking and the space looks modern yet retains the feel of early 20th century construction. Tile, counter, cabinets, floor and paint are complimentary, and soothing. There's even a range hood for handling cooking exhaust. We could not be happier with the outcome of our project, and we realize that engaging Aimee Toy Inouye at Paragon Kitchens and Bath was the number one reason for the success of our remodeling project. Rewind 4 months. My wife and I decided our 90s-era old kitchen had to go. Massive dark granite counters/backsplash was cracking, Ikea cabinets were crumbling, lighting was dim and we could barely lay out a cutting board for meal prep. We knew enough subcontractors that we thought we could handle the project ourselves, but how were we going to best change the space? We investigated kitchen design firms and the upfront cost seemed shockingly high. Paragon's quote was in the middle of several firms we investigated, but still, we were thinking we could save money right away by figuring out a design ourselves. Keep in mind, engaging a designer will be your first expense. Later on you will be writing check after check without thinking twice but in the beginning, you will hesitate. You will think, they can spit floor plans out of a computer in an hour. It's a counter and some cabinet boxes and some tiles. Plug in the numbers and it's done. You will think of the cost of designer time, when you really should think of the cost of designer expertise. You are paying for knowledge, experience, and talent, which actually is priceless. In this case Aimee's knowledge, experience and talent were an amazing bargain. She and her partner Christina visited our kitchen several times and talked to us about our issues and what we wanted out of a remodel. They took exact measurements, and then several weeks later came back with renderings of four different layouts, with pros and cons listed for each. We worked with her and in the end combined two of these proposed designs and asked for cabinet estimates, a counter source, and advice on paint, flooring and tile. Here Aimee's contacts were key. We visited a slab yard in Berkeley together and picked out stone that would work with her design, and found complimentary backsplash tile and flooring. She put together a cabinet order that was complex and complete, with a company that gave a firm delivery date, and with that in place we were able to start demo on Jan 5. Paragon provided a complete set of layout and elevation plans with all measurements that our electrician, cabinet installer, tile contractor and plumber used with everything accurate and complete. Because of her assistance, we experienced smooth sailing step by step, and the project was completed exactly one month later! Throughout the process, Aimee was instantly responsive with questions about delivery, measurements, paint colors, lighting fixture suggestions, and sink and faucet recommendations. Everything she recommended worked perfectly, and when everything was finished the results were amazing. We could not have been more pleased. My wife and I recommend Paragon highly. Remember when considering engaging a designer, that you will be living with the end result for many years, long after the memory of starting the ball rolling has faded. You will enjoy the results! read more

Contracting with Paragon was by far the best money we spent on our remodel. I can't say enough good things about Aimee Inouye. Not only did she capture our design esthetic beautifully, she also connected us to the best contractor, cabinet maker, countertop manufacturer, and tile supplier. Having someone in the know in the business connect you to the right folks is priceless. She also set up all of our orders for us, which meant we didn't need to count tiles or spend hours staring at fixtures trying to figure out what would fit in our bathroom space and also look good. She just took care of *everything*, was incredibly responsive and professional, and thoughtful throughout. You won't regret working with Paragon! read more

Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - Oakland, California

10 stars if I could! When I started ideating my kitchen renovation, I didn't know how to start. This was my first significant house project that involved an interior. I needed a lot of hand holding but couldn't afford going with a design and build firm, and had enough of an idea of what I wanted that hiring an interior designer seemed overkill. After my first consultation with Paragon, I knew I found the perfect partners. Christina was my cabinet designer and incredibly helpful. She was by my side throughout the entire process and consistently went above and beyond - even giving tips, advice and recommendations for elements beyond the cabinetry. I do not think I could have done this without them and I am SO happy with my new kitchen. I've recommended them to friends and I'm already planning on using them again when I'm ready to do a bathroom remodel. read more

When I contacted Paragon, Aimee Inouye replied immediately. She was very attentive to what I wanted and came up with a great design. She made procuring all the items for the kitchen and bathroom remodel a piece of cake--countertops, tile, fixtures, window, sinks, etc. She and her colleague Christina were always available and very helpful. I am absolutely thrilled with the results and couldn't have don't it without her. I highly recommend Aimee. Money well spent. read more

As a Building professional, I decided to work with paragon, I bring them in to this home office space that require cabinets, everything apear to be fine and the order was placed, the lead time was 16 weeks, during time we check in with Stephanie a couple of times to see if everything was on track or possibly a head of time, no luck on getting te cabinets sooner but she assured that the cabinets will arrive on time. After the 16 week period, we begin to call, email and text Stephanie with no response for a week, what follow was the most disappointing experience, Stephanie email saying that she actually forgot to place the order but that she could do it now and lead time was 16 weeks Bringing paragon to my customer was the worse decision ever! read more

If you look at the before photo and the two after photos, it's almost impossible to wrap your head around the fact that it's the same room. When we moved into our place in Oakland, we knew from the start that we didn't like the master bathroom, but we also knew that rearraigning the layout was going to be REALLY tricky. We ended up hiring Aimee Inouye at Paragon to design the layout. From the moment she walked into the proposed bathroom, she had some initial thoughts and suggestions that I hadn't even considered, and I knew I was going to be in great hands. Aimee helped us to think through some of the spatial issues that are easy to overlook, but would have left us really unsatisfied with the results. Easily the best decision on that bathroom reno was getting Aimee in there to help. Thanks Aimee! read more

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I was interested in supporting a local company. They told be they were quite a ways out which I expected but I scheduled an appt to figure out what I wanted for a bathroom vanity. It's been 2 months and I still haven't heard how much it will be let alone order it. While I understand it's a small project why waste my time and theirs if they had no intention of following through? If you like wasting precious time in a remodel this is the place for you. read more

Can't recommend Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio enough! When I phoned initially to get a countertop quote, Aimee picked up, and she got the ball rolling right away (actually, out of 4 total local companies I called, Paragon responded first to my quote request, and since I was anxious to get started on my kitchen remodel, this was a big part of why I chose them). I performed the cabinet modifications myself, but Aimee connected me with their countertop contractor (Custom Stone) to proceed with the templating and countertop install. Custom Stone was similarly professional and responsive throughout the entire process. Even though it wasn't an orthodox construction sequence, Custom Stone worked with my existing cabinet modifications to install an apron sink. Honestly, the finished product turned out better than I could have imagined. I think the thing that impressed me most about Aimee and Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio was that, even though my kitchen is small, and I performed the cabinet modifications myself, she treated me the same way that I assume she treats customers from whom they'll make more money. It's clear from the Yelp photos that they can handle larger jobs, but their attentiveness to me was truly appreciated. 5 stars. (I'll post pictures of the final product soon, still trying to find the time to do the backsplash myself). read more

Purchased a custom-made cabinet from Paragon. We found Aimee and her associates congenial and knowledgeable. However, we were dismayed when the cabinet arrived as 3 separate pieces that were not uniformly sized. Further we were dissatisfied with their construction, feel they were overpriced, and their durability questionable. I cannot recommend this vendor read more

My husband and I worked with Paragon Kitchens on our kitchen remodel. Everything exceeded our expectations, and we are thrilled with the result. Stephanie Jordan understood what we were trying to achieve, and her design truly maximized the space in our smallish kitchen area. The custom cabinets we ordered fit perfectly in the space, and the wood and painted finishes were more beautiful than we expected. Our family, friends and neighbors have all been amazed at the transformation. Needless to say, we give Paragon Kitchens 5 Stars! read more

I received an email on June 20, 2019, from Gus Cosio and responded on June 21st. It is July 9, 2019 and still waiting for a response or an appointment. In fact, I live up the street from the Studio in Trestle Glen. Victor Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate CalRE#01002811 and Assistant Principal cellist in the San Francisco Ballet. read more

We hired Elyse at Paragon to design our kitchen and bath remodel, and she did a fantastic job. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone. Elyse is not only an expert designer, but she is a great partner during the process. She listens carefully to your ideas and what you want, whether they're well-formed or not. Just as you're getting overwhelmed with options, she brings you two or three great ones and helps you pick the best. She doesn't upsell and is happy to cut things if you can't afford them or don't want them. She never seems to forget anything and always follows through. Best of all, she was practically our therapist during an extremely trying and stressful time with our contractor, patiently listening to us vent and offering advice out of her own time. I cannot imagine a better partner. Our job was a full kitchen and bath gut on our '20s Oakland bungalow, down to the studs (and then some). We had a lot of moving parts, knocking out wall sections, all-new cabinets and appliances, floors, window, you name it. Elyse nailed every single detail down to the inch. She helped us custom-design a shallow cabinet/countertop for our funky door. She created our huge set of pantry cabinets around our fridge out of a few spitball ideas. She helped us make a custom hanging cabinet for cat food/treats with an under-cabinet hideaway water fountain. We have a wine fridge cabinet and a cat litter box cabinet. The details in our kitchen are amazing, and we have her to thank. Financially, Paragon may not be the cheapest option around (we spent a pretty penny on our fully custom cabinets), but it was the best money we spent on our whole project. At the beginning of this project, we weren't sure whether we needed a designer; the answer was unequivocally yes. We'll be recommending Elyse and Paragon to everyone we know. read more

Recently, we decided to re-do our kitchen and we consulted Rebecca at Paragon. We heard good things from a friend who had a bathroom makeover, and went down to the showroom to get the process started. We both work full time, and needed to find a competent partner that offered comprehensive services; we found it at Paragon. For starters, the design showroom had the feel of well run, established local business. They were extremely patient and full of valuable information and provided us with solutions that worked with our budget. When it came to installation, we felt that the contractors were very capable, and the work simply came out great. When we had questions our calls and e-mails were promptly returned, and our kitchen was done on time and within budget. Frankly I am stunned when I read the other reviews, and wonder if they are talking about the same establishment. Two stars?! You have to be kidding me. Check it out for yourself. read more

Rebecca at Paragon Kitchen was a dream come true. For 4 years I was eager to remodel my kitchen but was paralyzed by questions. It wasn't a big enough job for a contractor and designer but I needed expert assistance. I stopped by the showroom one day, and Rebecca agreed to pop by my house right there and then! She helped me kickstart my remodel by addressing all the issues that had held me back. She provided referrals and resources and helped me make selections. She was very responsive, and a pleasure to work with. She has deep, specialized experience with all kitchen materials so she was able to answer questions honestly and objectively. I was very impressed by the way she worked with my budgetary concerns. She always showed us the most affordable way to go - by installing tile ourselves, or by finding new resources for less experience materials. I can't say enough good things about her. read more

We worked with Elysse to conceive and design the remodeling of our kitchen. She was a pleasure to work with, really understood our needs and our tastes, and worked with us to make design choices that both fit our aesthetic sensibilities and met our budget. Elysse was professional in every respect and responsive to our project in her work with our contractor, Daniel Arce ( Altamira Construction). We recommend Paragon wholeheartedly and yes, we give it 5 stars! read more

Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - Oakland, California

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We had a great experience with Paragon Kitchen & Bath. We worked with Aimee Inouye for our kitchen remodel. She is a first rate professional and superb Kitchen and Bath designer. Aimee was so attentive, listened to our needs, offered important and creative design recommendations and was readily available throughout the project. And most importantly worked seamlessly with our contractor, who also remarked that he loved working with Aimee and thought she was top notch. We would work with Aimee again and highly recommend her. read more

Top-notch cabinetry, sustainability, design, and customer service. The local owners are experienced professionals who go the extra mile to help you build the perfect remodel. Highly recommended! read more

After several months of searching for a place that could help us with our kitchen design we finally found paragon kitchen and bath studio. We came in on a Saturday and Gus was able to sit with us to basically layout our entire kitchen. We thought were going to need to hire an architect but after this meeting we won't need to which will save us the expense and time. The cabinets arrived as expected, one drawer had a dinglike scratch, could've been from the contractor guy or not but they replaced the drawer without any issues. We think the quality of the cabinets are pretty high, all the drawers close on their own , the doors do as well. The paint, we ordered a creamy white paint, I believe was a standard option looks beautiful, has a mat finish. Our overall experience, we are satisfied with the service and we would recommend their cabinets. read more

Paragon and Rebecca were AMAZING for us!! They spent quality time and made the effort to make sure we loved our remodel and new kitchen/bath. They came to our place and even helped us with ideas on how to remodel things! remodeling was a stressful and hard process, but Rebecca made me feel so much better and like I was being taken care of! Our kitchen looks GREAT, the bathroom looks great! And we can HIGHLY recommend Paragon!! read more

Considered this business for a remodel project, but didn't have a favorable impression of the women who ran it. They did not follow through on pre-contract commitments and otherwise did not seem very professional to me. read more

I am really happy with working with Elyse! She did a full kitchen remodel for our condo. She was excellent with communication both with us and third party vendors. She easily balanced our vision and usability in our small space. She was very knowledgable and respectful of our timeline. I would definitely recommend her services for small kitchens. read more

Since posting my original review on March 16, 2010, I have gotten a message via YELP and a message on my answering machine from Paragon threatening to turn my name into the Permit Office (for the work Paragon did!) in retaliation for my review. I am willing to swear under oath that every word of my review is accurate. read more

We used Paragon Remodel for our bathroom. Everything started out great. The project moved along at a good pace, the house was left very clean and inspections passed with no issues. The finishing was really the issue. 1. Our water from the shower runs brown. We were told "Oh, it goes away in a few seconds, it is no big deal. We probably just used the wrong plumbing tape" 2. The toilet is now leaking and causing issues with our floor tiles 3. The tub was not properly installed 4. The wall tiles and the seals on the tiles are not holding 5. The patch work on the walls is noticeably awful. When we asked for help to address these items, we received a lot of hostility. We love our bathroom and the design they helped us with, but the reality is their plumbing is abysmal and the finished product has issues. I would recommend choosing other options. read more

I really wanted to love this place. It looks beautiful and local business, but I am clearly disapointed. I wanted to revamp my bathroom and went in there to get ideas and estimates. The owner was nice (why the two stars), but when someone else came in with a larger project I was left to fend for myself and left to just stand there looking at books. After 10+ minutes I told her I had to leave, was busy, and could she send me estimates for a few different bathroom items. Notta, not a call or e-mail on what I needed. read more

It has been a couple of months since we completed our bathroom project. Elyse at Paragon did a wonderful job helping us to select the perfect cabinets and assisting us with the design for our bathroom. She was extremely patient and made sure that everything would work perfectly. I am very picky especially when it comes to colors and design. It took us a long time to decide which type of cabinets would work best, but Elyse offered great advice and did not pressure us to make a quick decision. We really appreciated her knowledge and patience. Thanks! read more

We loved working with Paragon on our recent bath remodel. Their bid was highly competitive, and the project came in on time and on budget. To illustrate how much faith we had in Rebecca and her crew, we were actually out of town for the construction! She kept us up to date with email photos and regular phone calls, so there were no surprises when we returned to our beautiful bathroom. Rebecca is dream to work with - she's organized, thorough, detail-oriented and cost-conscious. She has an excellent, professional crew, and knows great local sources for tile, marble and fixtures. I would highly recommend Paragon for your next bath or kitchen remodel. read more

We were at the Farmer's Market on a Saturday and decided to stroll down Lakeshore for some Arizmendi goodies. On the way back to our car, we saw Paragon tucked behind the Wells Fargo. We had been playing around with the idea of updating our kitchen for a while, but never quite pulled the trigger, because we weren't sure what we wanted. Sure, it's easy to go to Lowe's or Ikea, but we always ended up being overwhelmed, or completely left alone without any assistance from the salespeople. For us, we needed a little more hand holding, some HELP, and we really received this with Paragon. We were immediately taken by the woman that helped us, but then blown away by her knowledge and experience. She listened to us and helped guide us thru all the different materials, and the result was a kitchen that we are really happy with, it was like the perfect remodel. I almost feel guilty stating that, because my neighbor had a horrible experience with a roofer...so we really feel lucky that everything worked out. Rebecca designed us a beautiful new kitchen and our contractor was floored, by how perfect everything was, (seems he has seen horror stories of cabinets not being up to spec, arriving as a different color, etc.) and he was super happy with the installation drawings that she provided. He really connected with her, and she's actually recommended him to other clients. The cabinets we bought are exactly what we wanted, soft close everything. The kitchen is like night and day, I can't believe we even cooked in the old kitchen, even the food tastes better. And, they checked in on the project multiple times, to see how we were doing. They consistently met our expectations and timelines; we couldn't be more thrilled with our gorgeous new kitchen. I would definitely recommend their services! read more

We used Paragon Remodel to completely redo our bathroom. They were great! The contractor, Rebecca, was extremely professional and timely, as were all of her crew. We had this done while living in our house with two small children (this is our only bathroom), and they were very accomidating to the fact that we were always in their way! Rebecca was able to help design the bathroom and took time to meet with me at the tile store. We love our bathroom and were very pleased with how easy the whole thing was. I can't recommend them enough! read more

I know it may be premature as the cabinets aren't in, the job hasn't even started. But the owner here got it, knew what I wanted, came up with an actually realistic interpretation of my dream vanity and had it drawn in no time. I'm so impressed that she got it, knew my budget wasn't huge and my timeline was tight and she made it seem easy. No upsell, no making me feel small for having a tight budget. Smart and knows her stuff. Go there, talk with her. She CAN help. read more

We have used Rebecca and Paragon Remodel to add a bathroom to our converted garage and convert a sun porch into a nursery. We were very happy with the results of the work and thought Rebecca and her work crew were both friendly and professional. We are planning to redo our kitchen and will definitely use Paragon remodel for this as well. The work was done on time and within the budget we had laid out. I also really appreciated how honest and straight forward Rebecca was about what the job would entail in terms of costs, time, possible issues etc. We also found Paragon through a referral from our neighbors. read more

I've have used Paragon Studio for all the custom cabinetry in my home as well as my clients. Elyse, the designer and owner is incredibly professional and responsive, she has a great eye for design and my client ended up with a perfect kitchen. For my own home I purchased cabinets from paragon, full plywood with a custom paint. The quality and craftmanship of the Plato cabinets is unbeatable. The paint finish is excellent, they sent a door to approve prior to the final order so I knew exactly what the cabinet color would be. I sometimes bring clients to my own home to show them the type of quality they can expect..as well as the quality of my work. I also make an effort to work with local people because it's just easier when you have a question. If there was a question about dimesions she would stop by the job site to confirm. She was able to work with my client to help her decide on the extra hardware in the cabinets, this was an added benefit for me and my client. All of these things make for a smooth project, I highly recommend this cabinet store. read more

Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio - Kitchen & Bath Near Me - Oakland, California

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Worst customer service I have ever experienced!!!! Do not spend your hard earned money here because the owners will screw up and not stand behind their poor work. read more

We worked with Elyse and team at Paragon to remodel our kitchen, and really enjoyed the experience. From start to finish, they were extremely thoughtful and engaged. Great design sense, candid feedback on their direct options in-store versus alternatives. Very open to working all parties to get to the best result for us, which I greatly appreciated. We iterated a lot on small design and measurement matters, sometimes double and triple checking. At times this felt redundant, but I much preferred that over having re-work at the end, which was avoided. Some minor delays related to needing extra materials, but to be expected with a project of this nature. Quality of finished product was top notch. I would definitely work with Elyse again. read more

Ok I think the first review I wrote was accurate , but Im writing another because I realize I need to spend and addition several thousand to fix the finishes that were not ordered correctly to make my cabinets at least look semi custom. I have plywood unfinished edges and a really lame upper edge to all the cabinets. My kitchen was not that complicated. Also Ive noticed that the cabinets have a cloying sour smell. Wonder what the pressed wood chemical content is..... read more

Rebecca's team did a great job on our remodeling. We went out to bid and she was by far the most cost effective and we were a bit concerned at the start that it would result in cutting corners. However that was not the case. Her crew kept the house spotless, dealt with our many dogs and in-home office schedules and even did a bit more than what we contracted for - at no added cost! We highly recommend them and will use them again! read more

Elyse was a dream to work with! She has a great eye for putting the design and materials together and is patient when I kept changing my mind. My projects were not big, 2 small bathrooms, and Elyse treated me like my project was the only thing she was working on. She collaborated well with my contractor and connected us with multiple places and people on the hunt for the perfect lights, tile, etc. I live in Crocker Highlands so it was great to support a local business owner. read more

I chose to purchase my new kitchen cabinets, and counter top from Paragon Kitchen and Bath Studio in Oakland, rather than Loews or Home Depot. My project was taking place while I lived in another state. I felt confident that the owners would order the right sizes and quality materials for our new kitchen. I was also certain that the owners of the shop would provide quality materials and be attentive to our project that would be far above what I could expect from a large store. Unfortunately, the professionalism and responsibility for my order was non-existent from Paragon. The main issue with my kitchen order from Paragon was the cesar stone that I paid close to $4000. for in full. Paragon ordered the stone from an outside source. The person that came out from the stone shop failed to measure the counter size correctly. Therefore, we have a half inch gab between our stove top and counter top. Paragon's ramification for this issue was to bring the stove further out, which we could not do or the sides of our cabinets would be exposed to the heat of the stove and ruin the finish. Another issue, event though a small mishap, it speaks to the lack of attention by the owners is they ordered the wrong braces that lay under the bar area of the counter top, not once but three times they ordered the same wrong brackets and didn't even notice they were still wrong and called us to pick them up, only to tell them once again they were wrong. On the 3rd order they came in the right style but the wrong size, I decided to use them rather than go through another two month wait for the brackets. So we were held responsible for the fabricators inaccurate measurement for the counter top. I would not recommend this shop to anyone. The same products can be ordered from many other companies. They put up a good facade and have a beautiful shop, but the owners are incompetent. read more

My kitchen was remodeled by Paragon Kitchen and Bath. I am a widow and was nervous about embarking on such a large project. Working with Rebecca was a wonderful experience. She made sure I thoroughly understood every step of the process from the beginning design to the completion of the remodel. AND we actually came in slightly under my budget with a finished product that was way beyond my expectations. I LOVE MY NEW KITCHEN and I am planning to call Paragon to remodel my master bathroom in the coming spring. read more

I wanted to point out after vetting 4 kitchen studios in the bay area Paragon Kitchen and Bath had the best selections and professional design team. I'm so thrilled with the outcome, everyone that comes to visit is gushing over how awesome the kitchen cabinets look. They went over every detail and went that extra mile to verify the measurements. Thanks Paragon! read more

Extremely unprofessional firm! I used them on a kitchen remodel for one of my Oakland properties and in all my years of real estate I have never come across such a poor company.Beware the customer service is great before you write the check, after the money clears you cease to exist in the owners Elyse and Rebecca's eyes. read more